The Last Generation
by TennisPirate
Summary: OoT: what happened before the game? I've tried to address everything possible. Please R&R! Tell me if you have a better title, or to remind me of something I forgot or should include in future chapters. HOLY SMOKES! TWO NEW CHAPTERS UP! CHECK IT OUT
1. It's a Boy!

_Isn't it kind of assumed that someone writing one of these fics doesn't own the material they're "ficcing?" Otherwise, why would it be called a fan fiction? Wouldn't it just be a regular fiction? Sigh But, so those nit-picky website editor people don't take out my story: I do not own the Legend of Zelda or any related paraphernalia._

1. It's a Boy!

It was a beautiful night over Hyrule Field. The black sky was dotted with shining white stars, and not even the wispiest of clouds could be observed from the expansive ground. The rocks and trees scattered throughout the plain were lit up with a soft blue glow, and Hyrule Castle rose up in the distance, silhouetted against a rising, silvery moon. In itself, the castle was not much to look upon. Its height stemmed mainly from a single tall tower rising up in the very center. Apart from that, the castle was very typical in many ways. It had a number of shorter towers and turrets branching out in all directions — it even had its own little moat, kept clean and clear by a number of caretakers employed from the nearby villages.

Despite its somewhat shallow appearance, Hyrule Castle was outdone in height only by one lonely mountain, which rose up to the east of the castle. Death Mountain was rumored to be a volcano; Hylian lore suggested a single eruption, hundreds of years ago, when the land was still new. Since then, however, the mountain had become a peaceful place, its gentle slopes and caverns proving suitable for the solitary Goron race, and at its foot lay the quiet Kakariko village. Someone standing at the top of Death Mountain, as many liked to do nowadays, could see as far south as Lon Lon Ranch, a small horse farm set in the middle of Hyrule Field, run by the cheerful Talon and his wife Marielle.

Now, the night watchman, who was sitting diligently at his station atop the mountain, could just make out a small figure dashing out of the Lost Woods and heading north. He watched for a moment, slightly curious, until he recognized it as Tamarisa Querelekt coming back from her visit to the Kokiri Forest. He smiled. There was something about the girl that made everybody's day just a little brighter.

T'risa pressed her face close to her horse's mane. "Come on, Coltor," the girl whispered, her purple eyes gleaming, her long blonde hair flowing out behind her. "Are you really this slow?"

The horse flipped his white mane as if to show how insulted he was, then he ducked his head and shifted into a full-out gallop. T'risa smiled excitedly and hugged her mount's bobbing neck. "That's it, baby," she urged. "Keep going. You don't get to run like this every day."

Ten minutes later (((_A/N: Yes, I know that in the game it takes almost half a day to go from anywhere in Hyrule to anywhere else, but please try to bear with me._))), Coltor trotted up to Kakariko's entrance. T'risa dismounted, sliding easily off the sturdy animal, and she ran a loving hand over the velvety chestnut coat. "Come on," she said, clicking her tongue. Coltor followed her up the stone steps, skillfully navigating the narrow ledges. As they passed, a guard at the village gate gave T'risa a nod, which she returned with a smile. Silently, horse and master approached a small house set into the rock that surrounded the little town. The girl tied her horse to a post in the front yard, stroking his nose affectionately. "Good night, baby," she whispered. Coltor, though almost eight years old, never objected to being called "baby." He snorted and nuzzled his owner's hand, making her laugh. "Tomorrow we'll go to Lon Lon," she promised.

Leaving Coltor to his dreams, T'risa moved to the door of her house. The lights were still on inside. She smiled and turned the knob. The moment the door shut behind her, a pair of strong arms scooped her into a passionate embrace. She gasped slightly, taken by surprise, then threw her arms around her husband's neck. "Mako!" She grinned up at him, her eyes shining like amethysts. "You stayed up for me! You don't have to do that, you know. I don't mind."

"Nonsense," came the reply. "I have to make sure you're okay." Mako kissed his wife on the forehead and met her purple eyes with his blue ones. "How are you?" he asked sincerely. "Everything all right?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. She patted her stomach, adding, "Both of us."

Mako smiled. "Good," he said. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to _either_ of my babies."

T'risa giggled as her husband tickled her stomach. "You're gonna spoil him rotten, you know that?"

Mako looked at her. "Him?" he repeated.

The girl nodded. "The Deku Tree was almost positive," she said, beaming. "A little baby boy, just for you."

Mako touched her lips with his forefinger. "Us," he reminded her. "We share him."

T'risa sighed contentedly and rested her head against her husband's heavy chest. "Just think," she said dreamily. "A few more months…"

Mako ran his hand slowly through her hair and down her back, making her shiver. "I know," he said. After a moment, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her face. "You're sure you're okay?"

T'risa cocked her head to the side. "I told you already, I'm fine."

"I mean about the baby. Are you sure you're… ready?"

The girl didn't answer right away. She looked into her husband's eyes. "I think so," she said finally. "I don't know if I'm truly ready, but… it is what I want." She lifted a hand to his face, pushing a light brown strand of hair out of his eyes.

As she did so, something grabbed Mako's attention. He caught the girl by the wrist, staring down at her side.

"Mako?" she said, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

He said nothing but pointed down at a series of gashes in her tunic. The tan material was slightly darker around the area, suggesting that blood had been spilt.

"Oh," said T'risa quietly. "That."

"You're hurt." Mako pulled the girl over to a chair, where she sat down, somewhat reluctantly. He crouched down in front of her. "What happened?"

T'risa sighed. "It's nothing," she said, averting her gaze to a crack in the wall. "It's just a scratch, is all. Nothing to worry about."

Mako cupped her chin in his hand and turned her head to face him. "What happened?" he demanded. "It is something to worry about! Were you attacked?"

The girl hesitated before nodding slowly. "A Wolfos," she muttered. "Coltor fought it off, but not before…"

Mako sucked in a sharp breath, concern written all over his face. He leaned in to examine the wound. Gentle fingers peeled at the torn fabric, revealing four parallel slit marks. T'risa winced as the material came away, and Mako looked at her. "I'll get you a cloth to put on this," he said, standing back up. "Those cuts are deep; they'll take a while to heal. Meanwhile, you'll have to stay in the house. No more trips to the forest until you've had a chance to get better — at least a week, if not more."

T'risa gaped at him. "Mako!" she protested. "I can't stay in here for that long! A whole week? I'd go absolutely crazy! Besides, I promised Coltor I'd take him out again tomorrow."

Mako gave her an exasperated look. "For the love of Nayru, T'risa, it's a horse! It can't understand what you're saying to it!"

"He needs his exercise!"

"_You_ need to get better!"

"I'm fine! I won't even notice it in the morning!"

"I don't care. Those trips are getting too dangerous for you, anyway."

"I'm old enough to take care of myself!"

"It has nothing to do with age. You're _pregnant_, T'risa!"

"Who do you think you are, my father?"

"You're acting like a child."

"I am _not_!"

Mako looked at her pointedly. Fuming, T'risa lifted herself out of the chair and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door and locking it behind her. Her husband shook his head. His parents had warned him that this sort of thing might happen. He remembered a conversation he had had with his father only a year ago:

"She's only a child," his father was saying. "If you insist upon marrying her, at least wait until she's grown up a little more."

But, of course, Mako would have none of that. He loved T'risa, even if she was a little young. "She's practically in her twenties!" he argued. "She's hardly a child anymore."

His father snorted. "She's eighteen, Mako. You're twenty-five! There's a difference there, whether you choose to see it or not."

"Well, what's wrong with that?" his son asked defensively.

The old man sighed. "I'm only trying to look out for you," he said. "For both of you. I don't like the idea of marriage just yet, but if you do go through with it, there's nothing I can do to stop you. Just remember that there will be times when she may act… well, childish. You'll have to be patient with her."

Thinking back on it, Mako realized his father may have been right. Had he rushed into this too quickly? He was old enough to marry and have children, but T'risa was still a girl. What if she wasn't ready, after all? He heaved a sigh and went to the bedroom door. "T'risa?" he called, tapping on the frame with a knuckle.

"Go away," came the muffled response.

Mako shrugged and returned to the kitchen. All of a sudden, he felt his head start throbbing at the temples. _Oh, no_, he thought. _Not now_…

Like a flash, he bolted to the mirror above the kitchen sink. He stared at his reflection anxiously, watching for the telltale sign. It took a moment, but sure enough, it was happening. Mako watched in horror as his pale blue eyes transformed, slowly turning a pale shade of green. He shook his head, as if refusing to accept it would prevent what he knew was coming. "No," he muttered. "Stop, please!"

But his eyes didn't heed the warning. Now definitely green, they were getting deeper and darker. Once the color change was complete, Mako felt a searing pain in the back of his head as his pupils contracted, becoming unnaturally small. The man cried out and grabbed at his hair, trying to stop the pain. He stumbled backwards, tripping over a chair and crashing noisily to the floor. He writhed about like a convulsing snake, crying out in pain and agony. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, Mako lay still on the floor. His eyes were wide open and bloodshot, his pupils barely visible in the sea of green. The walls of his kitchen swirled together, creating colors and designs he was certain he'd never seen before. They popped out at him, making no noise, and yet piercing his eardrums with astonishing power. Suddenly, everything became clear. He was outside, on Hyrule Field, looking down from the sky. All seemed normal. Then, he saw it.

_Mwahaha._

_Please R&R. When I get five reviews, I'll update._


	2. Visions

_All right, I guess five reviews was too much to ask. Thanks to you four who did review! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Anyway, here are my responses._

_Oh, and I still don't own OoT or any related stuff._

_Winged One: Yeah, the note right in the middle of the sentence was kind of awkward. Sorry about that. ;_

_river htt: I know, cliffhangers are only fun to the writer. But, that's me, so I'm having fun. :) Hope you like this next installment as much as the first._

_Phoenixfire: I wouldn't call myself 'greedy.' I'd just call everyone else 'lazy.' XD And yes, you probably would have tricked me into reviewing._

_sabudabu: You're welcome. And thank you for the review. I won't tell you how things will work out, but it'll probably be fairly obvious fairly soon._

_everyonewhodidn'treview: Grrrrr._

_All right, so here it is. Oh, and I decided to name my chapters after all. So much more interesting for me. :D_

2. Visions

T'risa sat cross-legged on the bed, frowning at the wall. _The nerve of him!_ she was thinking. _Treating me like I'm a child. I'm nineteen! That's old enough to be an adult, isn't it?_ She was interrupted in her thoughts by a soft knock at the door.

"T'risa?" It was Mako.

_He's proved his point; now he wants to gloat,_ thought T'risa bitterly. "Go away!" she snapped, her back still to the door. Listening to his receding footsteps, however, T'risa softened. _Well, I really am acting like a child_, she mused. After a moment's thought, she decided to apologize. It was late, after all, and tempers tended to flare after the sun went down. She rose slowly from her bed. Heading toward the door, she heard a loud crash from the kitchen. Her eyes snapped open in alarm. "Mako?" she called. "Are you okay?"

As if in response, she heard him cry out in a strangled voice, and some sort of violent thumping ensued.

"Mako!" The girl unlocked her door and raced through the kitchen. When she saw her husband lying on the floor, she froze. He wasn't moving, though his eyes were strangely wide open, and the most unnerving shade of green she'd ever seen. She gave a shriek and raced over to his still body, where she dropped to the floor. "Mako!" she cried. "_Mako_! What's the matter? Mako, wake up, please wake up! Oh, Din, no!" She reached out to touch his face.

"Stop." A commanding voice filled the room, and T'risa's hand stopped halfway to her husband. She looked up to see a squat man standing in the open doorway, a grim look on his bearded face. "Don't touch him," he ordered. T'risa shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Is he… is he…?" She could barely speak, let alone voice her question.

But the man shook his head. "He's not dead, Tamarisa," he said firmly. "Leave him be. He'll wake up sooner or later."

Brazze Querelekt was a short, stocky man of at least sixty years. No one knew for sure how old he was, as he was constantly lying about his age, but his bristly white beard and bald head gave him away. He had two beady black eyes set into the wrinkles of his forehead that twinkled pleasantly whenever he was happy. Now, however, the old man just looked tired.

"How'd you know to come?" T'risa was wondering.

"Hard not to with you screaming like that."

T'risa could no longer look at her paralyzed husband, so she stood up and moved to the older man. "Will he… will he be all right?"

The man grimaced. "Hard to say," he muttered. At the pained look his daughter-in-law gave him, he checked himself. "Oh, he'll wake up, if that's what you mean. Whether he'll be the same for a while is anyone's guess."

T'risa looked at him, still not quite understanding. "I don't —"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "There," he said, nodding at something behind her. "You see?"

The girl turned around to see her husband sitting up on the floor. He was rubbing his head and looked extremely tired.

"Mako!" She dropped to his side and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing hysterically. "What happened? Are you okay? Din Farore Nayru, you scared me half to death! Why weren't you moving? Did you hurt yourself? Do you need anything? Oh, Din, oh, Din!"

"There now, that's enough. Give the boy some room!" Brazze put a gentle hand on T'risa's shoulder and helped her to her feet.

Mako looked up at his father. "I had a vision," he said simply.

The man nodded. "So I gathered." He turned to T'risa, who was gnawing at her fist in anxiety. "Don't worry, Tama. He's all right. Here, help me get him to a bed."

The girl sniffed, then bent down and lifted one of Mako's arms. Supporting his body between them, T'risa and Brazze made their way into the bedroom, where they lay him down. He sighed. "I'm really okay, Dad," he said, his tone a sure giveaway that he wasn't okay at all.

"Nonsense. If this vision is anything like your old ones, you're anything but okay." He looked at T'risa. "Go on and get a potion started for him," he said.

T'risa looked at him. "Umm… I'm sorry, Papa, I don't know how…"

Brazze raised an eyebrow and looked at his son, who winced. "You never showed her how to make a potion?"

Mako shook his head. "I thought they'd gone," he said apologetically. "I haven't had one since…" He trailed off.

"Still," said his father sternly, "you could have at least warned her." The man glanced at T'risa, whose mystified expression made him chuckle. "That's all right," he said lightly. "I'll take care of it this time. Mako, you can fill her in on your little secret." With that, he strode out of the room.

T'risa, still looking terrified and now totally confused, sat down on the bed next to her husband.

"All right," she said. "From what he said, I can gather that you've been hiding something from me. Mako, what's going on? Look me in the eyes and tell me."

What she meant was for him to tell the truth. Mako was not a very good liar, and he could never tell a lie to a person's face.

He shook his head. "There's not much to tell," he muttered. "I have these visions sometimes. It's not really important."

T'risa grabbed him by the shoulders. "You say that like it's nothing!" she cried. "Mako, you were _dead_! I saw it myself! There's no way anyone could lie as still as that and still be alive!" She swallowed hard. "This… has happened before, then?" she asked, her voice trembling.

He looked away. "I'd hoped they wouldn't come back," he said. "I've had them as long as I can remember. They've always been awful experiences. This time, though… I don't know. It's never been that painful. Really, T'risa, I don't want to talk about it right now."

She stared at him for a while, neither speaking. Finally, T'risa spoke up. "Do they… come true, often?"

Mako nodded slowly. "Always," he muttered. "They've never been wrong once."

"And… are they always… bad?"

An almost imperceptible smile crossed her husband's lips. "Not always," he said. He looked into her eyes, and she noticed that his were back to their usual shade of blue. "One time, when I was twelve, I saw myself falling in love with a beautiful girl." He shut his eyes, cherishing the memory. "It was like a dream, where you can't make out the features, but you still know they're there. The girl had long, golden hair, and two bright purple eyes. Her skin was as perfect as the rising moon, and her voice was so sweet and soft I thought it was a singing bird." He reached out and lovingly stroked her arm.

T'risa kept her face straight. "You mean to tell me," she said skeptically, "that you've been in love with me since you were twelve?"

Mako shook his head. "No, but I knew roughly what to look for." He grinned. "Really, it was love at first sight."

At that, T'risa couldn't help but smile. "Well," she said, "I love you, too." She paused before continuing. "And tonight," she said. "Was this a good vision, or a bad vision?"

Mako's smile disappeared, and he looked off into the distance. "Bad," he said ruefully. "Definitely a bad vision."

T'risa would have pried more if her father-in-law hadn't walked into the room at that very moment. He carried a mug of something hot in his right hand, and there was a tiny pouch in his left. He came around the side of the bed as his daughter-in-law got to her feet. "Sit up," he ordered. When Mako did so, his father carefully poured the contents of the pouch into the liquid then handed the concoction to his son. Mako took it obediently and downed the whole steaming thing in one gulp. He wrinkled his nose.

"Still tastes as awful as always," he announced. But the potion soon worked its magic. Within moments, Mako's face looked almost brighter, and he sat up a little taller in the bed.

"Now, then," said the old man, pulling up a chair and plunking himself comfortably down. "What was this vision about?"

Mako looked uneasily away. "Oh, nothing important…"

His father looked at him for a moment. "You mean you haven't had a vision in seven years, and when one finally comes it knocks you out so bad your wife thinks you're dead, and you're trying to tell me it wasn't important?"

Mako didn't answer. He sighed and looked off into the distance. "I just don't really want to think about it," he said softly.

Brazze nodded slowly. "All right," he said. "You'll meet it when the time comes." He pulled himself out of the chair and turned to face T'risa. "And you make sure he teaches you to make a potion," he said, not unkindly.

T'risa nodded and forced herself to smile, but she still felt sick inside. Mako had _visions_? Her thoughts were all jumbled up. She barely heard herself call a good-bye to Brazze as he left the room. What was this vision about? He hadn't told his father — and Mako told his father _everything_. T'risa's head began to hurt with this new concept to devour, and she sat down on her side of the bed. Mako had leaned against the headboard and was looking at the ceiling with blank eyes. Neither spoke for a long time.

Finally, T'risa touched his face and looked at him carefully. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, worried. "You seem awfully tired."

Mako shook his head. "I just need some rest," he muttered. Giving no further explanation, he rolled over and shut his eyes.

T'risa hovered over him for a few moments, then she, too, rolled over and shut her eyes. It was too late to think about things like this. Maybe everything would be clearer in the morning.

O 

Meanwhile, some hundred miles away, an explosion lit up the southern sky. A young man approaching his thirties watched from a cliff as his city was engulfed by a swirling purple cloud. As it descended, the man could hear the screams of the people below him. He smiled malevolently. It wasn't the first they had seen. All month long, purple clouds, swarms of creatures, and other such disasters had wreaked havoc on the struggling village. He had been there every time to the people's relief. After a few moments, he descended into the growing crowd.

"My people," he cried gallantly, raising a long black staff over his head. "Fear no more! Your king will deliver you!" With that, he pointed the staff at the cloud and shouted some words that sounded to the townspeople very elegant and noble, but no one could understand them as they were in a different language.

A ray of orange light shot out from the tip of his staff and hit the cloud in the center. Of course, he had no difficulty recalling the cloud as he had been the one to create it. With a grand show of spinning dust and bright flashes of light, the cloud was pulled to the tip of the man's staff, where it disappeared altogether.

When it was gone, the townspeople all clapped and cheered. "All hail the king!" they shouted. "All hail King Ganondorf!"

Ganondorf basked in the applause only for a moment. "My people," he called when the noise had subsided. "I have had a dream — no, a _premonition_ — of what has been occurring here!"

The crows listened intently. They were all eager for the attacks to cease for good.

"Do you know," Ganondorf continued, "who has suffered us to endure these misfortunes?"

There was a silence as the people thought. A girl at the front of the crowd looked up at him. "The North?" she inquired.

He smiled. "Yes," he said. "Lady Nabooru speaks the truth! It is the North who had done this to us! We have so little protection as it is, and they take advantage of our weakness! They laugh at us… scorn us, even! While they sit in their lavish homes and fruitful gardens, we are condemned to the scorching heat of the desert sun! Why do they mock us? My people, it is time for action! We must rise against the North!"

There was a loud clamor of agreement. The girl called Nabooru made her way over to him. "I want to help you," she said earnestly, "in any way I can. Please, I would love it more than anything if you would allow me to fight next to you."

Ganondorf smiled at her. "Of course," he said. "You are my most loyal companion, Nabooru, and I would rot in my grave before allowing you a position like this."

Nabooru's eyes lit up. "Thank you, sir," she said, nodding her head in a half-bow. "You will not regret it!"

She rushed off to start organizing her ranks. Ganondorf grinned after her, an evil glint in his eye. "No, I don't think I will," he agreed silently. "The North will soon be mine to control. I will rule them all!"

_Okay, a little bit of a lame ending…_


	3. Warning of a Storm

_First, I would like to say:_

_OMG! SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SOOOOORRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY! It's been sooo long since I last updated! I'm going to make a terrible novelist—I suck at deadlines:( If you haven't read in a while, you might want to sort of skim the last two chapters to remember everything that's going on. Not too much information, thankfully._

_Whew. Okay, now I also have to mention something important at this point: in the game, it says that Kakariko used to be a Sheikah village, but Impa opened it to others. I made Impa young in this story because she seems fairly young in the game, and I sort of needed the 'innocent child' role. So, obviously, according to the game, Kakariko has not yet been opened to the Hylians, and yet, T'risa and Mako are Hylian and living in Kakariko. Basically, I apologize for this discrepancy with the game. Sorry._

_Okay, and now for my replies._

_Winged One: ) Thanks! The whole point of this story is to set up the events of Ocarina of Time, so I have to make sure everyone stays in character. ;)_

_Sabudabu: O.o Wow. Well, I'm glad you don't think it was a lame ending. The thing with Ganondorf is that he isn't really insane. He's very clever and very evil. I can't make him a wacko. ( Sorry it took so long for me to update… T.T_

_LMDGlUVR4EVA: Is that a "one" or a lowercase "L" in your name? Anyway, sorry I didn't update for three months… no excuse… sorry. (_

_SugarPirate: I love you too, sis. And you copied my pen name. And you spelled "piece" wrong._

_Okeedoke. So here's the latest installment. We meet some new characters! Hooray! This is going to be a pretty short story, overall, because it takes place in a span of only a few months. Anyway, enough blabbing. On to the story!_

3. Warning of a Storm

Hyrule Castle glistened in the early morning sun, and the sound of a cucco's crow could be heard echoing through the empty courtyard. A guard was draped over another in front of open castle gates. They were both snoring audibly. Apart from them, nobody was around.

Inside, however, a few people had awoken. The cooks had been up for two hours already, preparing breakfast, and pages ran about the place, tending to this or that before their knights arose. A small, thin girl of about fifteen was striding briskly down a main hall. She knew her way around the castle well; she had been brought up here, as had her entire family before her. They, of course, had left the castle long ago. Since the queen had transitioned from adolescence to adulthood, she no longer had any need for their services.

The girl whirled around a corner—and nearly collided with a tall, dark-haired boy walking in the other direction.

The boy's eyes widened in surprise, but when he saw who it was, he grinned. "Easy there, Imp," he said. "You're gonna knock someone down racing around like that!"

The girl frowned at him. "Don't call me 'Imp,'" she pouted. "I'm just as tall as you are, Trevan…" She trailed off as Trevan leaned forward and rested his chin on her forehead. She blushed. _He smells so good…_

Reluctantly, she pushed him away. "I really can't talk right now, Trevan," she sighed. "I'm already late as it is."

The boy stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That's right," he said. "Don't you have an appointment with—"

"I _know_," the girl snapped. "I have to _go_!" With that, she pushed the boy aside and, gathering up her skirts, raced down the hallway.

Trevan watched her go. A hint of a smile flashed over his face before he turned and continued on his way.

O

The heavy door opened with a creak, and the girl stepped warily inside. At first, she couldn't see anyone, but she soon located the tall woman standing in the corner. _Queen Kalytaeia_. She was talking to a grizzled old man, and it looked like they were arguing about something. The girl shut the door and slid cautiously along the wall. Maybe the woman hadn't noticed her yet.

"You're late, Impa."

Or maybe she had. Impa heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry—" she began, but the queen cut her off with a wave of her hand. She motioned for the man to leave, which he did somewhat reluctantly. As soon as they were alone, Impa started to speak again. "I'm sorry, Highness," she said, dropping to a knee as the woman came forward. "I overslept, and then I ran into Trevan, and… well, I'm sorry," she finished weakly.

Kalytaeia smiled at her. "You'll be waking up at much earlier hours than this," she said, patting a protuberant stomach. "Now, in my letter to you I informed you that you'd be beginning your duties before the baby actually comes. Are you ready to start?"

Impa was taken slightly by surprise. "What, now?" she asked.

The queen nodded. "It's not much of a task," she said, reaching into a fold in her robes and extracting a brown paper package. "I believe you are friends with a certain Tamarisa Querelekt in Kakariko Village?"

Impa brightened. "Yes, Highness," she said eagerly. "I've known her since I can remember!"

"I need you to bring this to her," said Kalytaeia, holding out the package for Impa to take. "It's packaged so as not to damage it further. Tell her it needs to be repaired, and I'd like to have it back within the week."

Impa nodded. "Yes, Highness." She set the package gently into her shoulder bag, wondering what on earth it could be. She was filled with a new happiness at the thought of going to see T'risa. _It's been so long_…

Suddenly, the doors to the throne room burst open. Impa jumped and spun around to see a girl not much older than herself come running in. She was clearly a Gerudo, by her flaming red hair and foreign clothes. Impa stepped back in alarm and apprehension, but Kalytaeia raised her head.

Immediately, the two guards who had been flanking the doorway sprang into action. They each grabbed one of her arms, rooting her to the spot. "What's this?" snapped one of them, a large, burly person Impa knew to be called Grenning. "A Gerudo? How'd you get in?"

"Queen Kalytaeia," said the girl in a raspy voice. She looked exhausted. "I have a message for the queen."

"Release her," ordered Kalytaeia. Grenning looked a little put out, but he and his companion dutifully obeyed and resumed their posts.

The girl stepped timidly forward and dropped to a knee. She extracted a fair-sized envelope from within her cloak and offered it wordlessly to the queen, who took it and broke the seal. There was a brief silence while Kalytaeia's eyes flicked over the letter in her hands. Her expression darkened gradually, and when she finished reading she tucked the paper into a pocket and laced her fingers together, a frown furrowing her brow. The Gerudo messenger was watching her, waiting for some kind of response. "Tell your king," said Kalytaeia firmly, "that my answer remains the same, and if he sends me this message again, he'd better not expect a response."

The girl hesitated, then bowed. As she turned to go, Grenning and his partner hastened to escort her out. The doors swung shut behind them, leaving Impa alone with the queen. The girl looked up at her, puzzled.

Kalytaeia stared at the door, breathing heavily. She turned suddenly to face Impa, and Impa was startled to see her normally resolute face contorted in anger. "As long as you work here," she said shortly, "I will trust you with confidential matters of politics. You must tell absolutely no one anything that is said in this room, do you understand?"

Impa wasn't sure she did, but she nodded anyway.

The queen took a deep breath and extracted the letter from her pocket. She glanced over it quickly, then crumpled it into her fist. "He wants more land," she said forcefully. "I'm getting tired of this! This is the third time this month he's contacted me about land claims. I see no reason to bestow him with any more land than is absolutely necessary to keep his people alive. He is a coward and a cheater, and he has done nothing to put himself in my favor." At the startled look on Impa's face, she added, "I wouldn't think much of it; it's just another of his pitiful attempts to overthrow the kingdom." She didn't look entirely convinced, though, Impa noticed. She turned away and held her chin.

Impa shifted uncomfortably. "Umm… I'd better get going to deliver that package."

Kalytaeia nodded. Impa bowed, watching her queen with some concern, and backed out of the room.


	4. The Calm Before the Storm: Part One

_**SPECIAL, TERRIFIC, EXCELLENT, STUPENDOUS, OMIGOSH NEWS: to deter my beloved fans from approaching my place of residence with torches and pitchforks (and because this chapter turned out more than twice as long as the others), I'm updating two chapters at once! I could just make this an extra-long installment, but I know how much fun it is to click the "next" button. So, this is really all one chapter.**_

_Okay. I had this amazing idea, since I'm so bad about updating and you're not likely to get another installment for a couple of months. Reading this now, you've probably forgotten everything that's happened so far. So, I'm going to start putting a little paragraph before each chapter to remind you of what happened in the last chapter. That way, if I for some reason cough don't update for, like, a year, when I finally do update, you can skim over all the handy little paragraphs to find out what happened! It's ingenious!! D_

_Ahem. Anyway. So, I'll put the sum-up paragraph in **bold**, right after my replies._

_MysteriousStranger: Hooray! I am glad you like it. : And I'm not telling you whether you are right or not. You'll just have to find out for yourself. evil grin_

_BlazeStarre: Sweet, thanks a lot! Assume all you want; you're not getting any answers from me:)_

_Squirt Sapphire: Yay. I'm usually sucky with names. I worked hard on these ones. x)_

_**Sum-up of Chapters 1, 2, and 3:**_

_**T'risa and Mako Querelekt live comfortably in Kakariko Village. When the story begins, T'risa is pregnant with a baby boy. One night, to her horror, Mako collapses in a spastic fit. He wakes up just fine a few minutes later. Brazze, Mako's father, explains to her that Mako has these 'visions' of the future. They always come true. Mako refuses to tell T'risa or Brazze what his vision was; he'll only say that it was bad. Meanwhile, in the desert, King Ganondorf of the southern Gerudos is riling up his people, readying them for war against the Northern country. He is secretly setting plagues on his country, then removing them heroically and claiming they were the North's doings. Nabooru, a young girl, has offered to stand beside her king in battle.**_

_**Some days later, a girl, Impa, is preparing to become the caretaker of the princess about to be born to Queen Kalytaeia. It is clear she has developed an interest in one of the castle's pages, Trevan. She meets with the queen, who gives her a package to deliver to T'risa (they are apparently friends), and the queen receives a message from the South, asking for more land. She angrily refuses. She tells Impa this spat will likely smooth over, but Impa isn't so sure….**_

4. The Calm Before the Storm

(Part One)

"Mako, I'm not so sure about this…."

"You're doing fine. Just tip it in, just like that."

"Isn't this stuff supposed to be explosive? I might blow up the house."

"You're not going to blow up the house."

"But it is explosive?"

"When did I say it was?"

"When did you say it _wasn't_?"

"Just pour it in."

"But what if it explodes?"

"It's not going to explode!"

"But it _could_!"

"But it _won't_!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"T'risa, I've done this a thousand times! Just pour it in!"

"Maybe there's a one-in-a-thousand chance that it explodes!"

"T'risa!"

"_Mako_!"

It was mid-afternoon in Kakariko village, and the town's happiest couple was hard at work filling the day's quota for bickering. Mako was, at the request of his father, trying to teach T'risa how to make a potion for his vision "hangovers." She had been doing well so far, but for the last half-hour she had been holding a packet of deku seeds over a frothing pot on the stove, reluctant to "dump them in," as Mako had instructed.

"T'risa, if you wait any longer, the fire's going to go out."

"Good, maybe it'll be safer that way."

Mako rubbed his temple; suddenly, his eyes grew wide and he stared in horror at something over T'risa's shoulder. "T'risa!" he cried. "What's _that_?!"

Terrified, T'risa spun around. "_Where_?!"

While T'risa was distracted, Mako knocked her hand. T'risa whirled back with a cry of surprise, but it was too late; the deku seeds had already fallen with several _plunks_ into the potion.

Mako grinned at her. "See?" he said smugly. "Nothing happened."

She glared at him. "Don't _do_ that!" she snapped. "You scared me!"

Her husband shook his head and stirred the purple concoction with a long-handled wooden ladle. "Now we just let this simmer for a couple minutes," he said. "Think you can remember how to do it?"

T'risa nodded. "It's simple enough." Suddenly, she gave a little gasp and put a hand to her stomach.

Mako looked up in alarm. "What? What is it?"

T'risa smiled. "He's kicking." She patted a spot on the side of her stomach. "Feel right here."

Mako raised his eyebrows, then put his own heavy hand where T'risa indicated. His eyes lit up as he felt the little pokes of pressure.

They stood there for a few moments before T'risa spoke up. "What are we going to name him?" she asked.

Mako looked up in surprise. "You want to pick a name now? Already? But he's not due for at least—"

"I just want to have one ready," said T'risa. "Did you know the queen's baby already has a name? Zelda. She's due around the same time as ours. That's so pretty, don't you think? Princess Zelda?"

Mako shrugged. "So, what do you want to call him?"

T'risa squinted her eyes in deep thought. "I don't know," she said. "We could call him Mako Junior, or Brazze."

Mako snorted. "I don't know if I could bear to give my kid the same name as my father."

"Okay then," said T'risa, looking slightly crestfallen. "I've thought about others, too. How about Mido?"

"Do you mean after that Kokiri friend of yours?" asked Mako with a grin. "Come on, show some originality, would you? I was thinking more along the lines of 'Bugsworth,' or maybe 'Grendleton.'"

T'risa gaped at him. "We are _not_ naming our son Bugsworth! Are you insane?"

"What are you talking about? Bugsworth is a nice name! We can call him 'Buggy' for short."

T'risa groaned. "What other names do we know? I had a great uncle Teryl at one point…."

"Teryl's not bad."

"…But I absolutely hated him. We're not naming him Teryl."

"Then why'd you bring it up?"

"Better Teryl than 'Bugsworth.'"

"You know I was kidding."

"Well, you could try being a little more serious! This decision will affect us for the rest of our lives!"

"What's got your tunic in a knot?"

"I'm _pregnant_."

"Ah, really? I hadn't noticed."

T'risa took a swing at him; in doing so, she felt some cloth tear under her tunic. "Ah," she groaned. "Look what you made me do!" Sighing, she thrust a hand down the front of her tunic to fix the bandage that had torn loose. A swift glare at her husband wiped away the boyish grin that was beginning to form on his face.

As T'risa pulled her hand back out of her tunic, there was a soft knock on the front door. She went to answer it. The moment she opened the door, she was greeted with the face of a smiling young girl. She gasped in delight. "Impa!"

"Hello, T'risa," said Impa, allowing herself to be pulled into a tight embrace.

"How've you been?" asked T'risa, holding the girl at arm's length. "Your hair has gotten so long! It's gorgeous!"

Impa smiled and flicked her head so that the brown hair settled behind her back. "Yeah, I've been growing it out," she said. "Pity they're gonna make me dye it white."

T'risa shook her head. "I know," she said, reaching out to feel a lock of Impa's soft hair. "That stuff they use just ruins the texture, you know." Her expression turned mischievous. "Say," she said, changing the subject. "How's it going with that page friend of yours—what's his name? Trevan?"

Impa blushed and bit her lip to stop a smile creeping across her face. "Yeah," she said softly. "It's going alright."

"He like you yet?"

Impa paused. "I think he might," she said slowly.

T'risa let out a laugh and playfully tugged a strand of Impa's hair.

"It's good to see you, Impa," interjected Mako, stepping forward. "Exactly how old are you now?"

Impa gave a little smile. "Fifteen," she said. "Sixteen in a few months."

As Impa chatted away with Mako, T'risa felt a strange feeling come over her. She couldn't quite place it, but Impa was acting… differently. Her smiles were only half-there, and when she wasn't speaking, her eyes seemed glazed and distant, as if her mind were somewhere else.

T'risa cocked her head and studied the girl's face. Impa was like a sister to her — being only three years apart in age, they shared many of the same feelings and opinions, and Impa often came by looking for advice. Since the queen was getting closer to giving birth, Impa had been spending less and less time away from the castle, but they had been together long enough for T'risa to recognize when something was wrong.

"Oh, T'risa, I almost forgot," said Impa suddenly, bringing T'risa back to reality. "I'm supposed to give this to you. It's from the Queen; she didn't tell me what it is, though." She extracted a small brown package from a bag on her shoulder, which T'risa took curiously.

"A package…?" Carefully, she pulled the white string binding it shut. As she peeled away the paper, her eyes lit up. "Oh," she breathed, pulling out something blue and shiny.

"Oh," repeated Impa as she looked at what T'risa had in he hand. "Her… ocarina."

Indeed, it was an ocarina. It was larger than average, painted almost entirely royal blue except for a small yellow triangle on the mouthpiece. T'risa held it up to the light, admiring it silently. "This… is hers?" she asked.

"Yeah," repeated Impa. "She said she wanted you to fix it. I should've guessed; you know more about ocarinas than anyone in Hyrule!"

T'risa smiled. "Well," she said. "I don't know about that." She examined the ocarina now with a careful eye, but it didn't take her long to find the problem. "Ooh," she muttered, running her finger along a long crack on its underside. "That's a nasty one." She chuckled. "What does the woman _do_ with this?"

Impa shook her head. Her smile faded, and she looked up at T'risa with solemn eyes. "There's… something else," she said in a low voice.

Mako glanced over sharply, and T'risa put down the ocarina. "What is it?" T'risa asked.

Impa took a deep breath. "I… I'm not really supposed to say. It's just… something's happening. I don't even really understand it, but… I have this feeling." She took a shaky breath. "I'd just… be ready, if I were you. There might be… trouble."

There was an awkward pause. No one spoke. After a moment, T'risa softly asked, "What trouble?"

But Impa shook her head. "I can't say. I should be leaving now, anyway. I was just supposed to deliver the ocarina. Someone should be around next week to collect it, unless you want to bring it back yourself."

T'risa nodded, only partially listening.

Impa gave a weak smile. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure it's nothing. We're gonna be fine." She gave T'risa a hug, nodded at Mako, and left the house, closing the door behind her.

"Do you think there'll be a war?" T'risa asked immediately, her purple eyes wide.

Mako was taken aback. "What makes you say that?"

T'risa shook her head. "I just have a feeling. Impa was… scared. She knows something's going on."

Mako sighed. "Well, I don't know what's going on," he said, looking away, "but I wouldn't rule it out."

There was a long silence. T'risa rubbed her arm, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Hey," said Mako suddenly. He had gone to the window and was peering outside. "It's Talon and Marielle!"

T'risa looked up. "Really?" Her face brightened. The Lons came around no more than once a week, if that. She shook her head. She was being silly, worrying about things like this. Impa tended to overreact to little issues. Besides, did problems at the castle really concern them, anyway? What was she worried about? The queen was a talented ruler. She'd straighten everything out.

Pushing the troublesome thoughts from her head, T'risa rushed out of the hut to meet her friends. Mako followed. As she hopped down the front steps, T'risa saw Brazze coming around a corner. She beamed at him. "Hello, Papa!" she called. She thought for a moment that his face looked paler than usual, but that was probably from the bleaching light of the sun overhead. The old man smiled and waved her on.


	5. The Calm Before the Storm: Part Two

(Part Two)

Parked right in the center of Kakariko Square was a huge, horse-drawn cart partitioned down the middle. On one side, crates of what T'risa knew to be fresh milk bottles were stacked precariously high. On the other, a couple cows and a number of cuccos mooed and squawked as they waited to be sold or traded. The cart was surrounded by most of the village, all of whose members were chattering loudly and examining the wares. Mako saw Talon right away and made his way through the crowd to greet him. It took T'risa a moment to locate Marielle, but she finally found her, holding one of her cows by a rope and bargaining with a loud, solid man over the price.

"Five hundred rupees?" the man was grumbling. "For a cow? That's ridiculous. I'll give you two-fifty."

"Two hundred fifty? Are you out of your mind?" Marielle was what T'risa like to call "pleasantly plump." She was by no means tall, but when she put her hands on her hips, like she was doing now, and puffed out her chest, she could look very intimidating. "This is one of the best cows you're going to find in all of Hyrule."

"One of the _only_ cows I'm gonna find."

"Supply and demand. She's worth at _least_ four-fifty."

"I'll give you two-fifty."

Marielle bristled. "Now, you listen to me—!" She broke off mid-sentence when she noticed T'risa standing there. Her face brightened noticeably, and she played a quick mental tug-of-war between her friend and her cow. "Alright," she grunted finally, handing the man the rope. "Two-fifty." She narrowed her eyes at him as he dropped the rupees into her hand. "Least money I've ever gotten for a cow like this."

As the man walked away, his prize in tow, Marielle strode over to T'risa and scooped her into a bone-breaking hug. "T'ri!" she cried, grinning from ear to ear.

T'risa laughed and returned the embrace. "Mari! You act like you haven't seen me in a month."

Marielle stepped back, shaking her head. "It seems like so much longer than a week. Why don't you ever come to visit us sometimes? We miss you!"

T'risa smiled. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'll do what I can. It's getting harder, now, even to ride. I'm due in a few months, you know."

Marielle patted her stomach. "Hasn't stopped me," she said with a grin.

T'risa rolled her eyes. "Oh, Mari, while you're here, do you have any ideas for a name? The Deku Tree says it'll be a boy. Mako and I were arguing about it earlier, but we can't seem to come up with anything."

Marielle tilted her head slightly. "You know Saria, right? The Kokiri sage? Try asking her. The sages are great at picking lucky names."

T'risa nodded thoughtfully. "Good idea," she said. "I'll try that. Out of curiosity, what are you naming yours?"

"Oh, we haven't decided on one just yet, but we've got some ideas," said Marielle. "We went to see Saria just the other day, you know. She said, since the kid'll be born around the same time as the princess, it would be lucky to pick something to sort of bring them together. I was thinking 'Link.'"

"Ah," said T'risa. "That's clever. It's a real name, isn't it?"

Marielle nodded. "Talon doesn't want to break the 'lon' tradition he thinks he has going with Malon, but he'll come around, eh?" She gave T'risa's arm a little swat and laughed heartily.

"Mommy."

Both women looked down at the tiny voice. A chubby toddler was pulling at Marielle's dress and looking up. T'risa put her hands to her mouth. "Oh, my goodness," she breathed as Marielle scooped the girl up. "She's absolutely _adorable_!"

Marielle smiled. "Say hello to T'risa, Malon."

The toddler looked at T'risa with big, shy eyes. "Hewwo," she said softly.

T'risa felt her heart melting. The girl was at least two years old, but this was her first time out of the ranch. Her short brown hair matched her mother's, as did her eyes. "I need to start visiting more," said T'risa. "I'm missing so much!"

Malon started to wriggle, and Marielle set her down again. The toddler started to chase a loose cucco around the cart.

"Oh," said Marielle suddenly, drawing something out of her deep dress pocket. "I have something for you."

"What? Really?" T'risa took the bundle, eyeing it curiously. "What's it for?"

"Does a girl need an occasion to give her friend a present?" asked Marielle, grinning. "Go on, open it."

T'risa did so. Her jaw nearly dropped. "Your… ocarina?" she gasped. "But why?"

Marielle shrugged. "I never play it anymore," she said, "and I know how much you want one."

T'risa was speechless. "Marielle, I…" She fingered the ocarina. It was pearly-white, without a nick or a scratch on it. She took a deep breath, then threw her arms around her friend. "Thank you," she breathed.

Marielle laughed. "It's nothing, really," she insisted.

They broke apart. T'risa wrapped the ocarina lovingly in its blanket, which she tied to her belt.

They chatted for a while, catching each other up. With the births of several new ponies, the Lons had decided it was time to hire some extra help. "Ingo's his name," said Marielle. "He wouldn't be my first choice, but he was all we could get. Says he's from the southern end of Hyrule. I didn't even know there were villages down there. He can get kinda grumbly, especially with Talon, but _I_ can usually get him to work."

They broke off as a young girl approached them hesitantly. T'risa smiled. "Hi, Anya," she said warmly.

Anya half-smiled. "Hello," she replied. She turned to address Marielle, but she looked a little unnerved by Marielle's brazen appearance.

Marielle, however, crouched down, a broad grin on her face. "Hi there, sweetie," she said pleasantly. "Can I help you?"

The girl blinked and gave a little cough. "I'd like to buy a cucco, please," she said softly. She held out a fist and opened it, offering up a red jewel. "Is this enough?"

T'risa knew Marielle would hardly consider twenty rupees a fair trade for one of her prized cuccos, but the woman said, "Sure, honey. I know just the girl for you," and bustled off to her cart.

T'risa bent down to talk to Anya. "Your mommy finally let you get one, huh?" she said knowingly.

Anya's eyes shone with excitement, though her face stayed shy and polite. "Uh-huh," she nodded. "Daddy built a pen for her next to the house, so I can watch her whenever I want."

Marielle returned, her hands cupped. "How's this one?" she asked, shifting her hands to reveal a very small, very yellow bundle of fluff.

Anya gave a squeak of delight. "Ooooh," she cooed, leaning forward to get a better look.

Marielle pushed the chick forward. "She's all yours."

But Anya backed suddenly away. "Could I… could I maybe have a—a blanket, or something?" she asked timidly. "I'm not allowed to touch her. It makes me itch."

"Allergies," T'risa whispered to Marielle, who acknowledged her with a tilt of the head. "I'll carry her for you, Anya," offered T'risa, taking the bird from Marielle.

"Thank you," the girl breathed. She plunked her red rupee into Marielle's broad hand, and beamed up at T'risa. "Thank you! I've always wanted a pet cucco."

T'risa laughed and put a hand on Anya's head. "I know you have. I'll bring her along in a minute, okay?"

Anya nodded, still glowing with happiness, and skipped away to her house.

As T'risa snuggled with the cucco chick, Mako and Talon came over, chatting away. Talon, however, stopped talking as they approached. His eyes darted over the spot where T'risa and Marielle stood, and he quickened his pace. "Marielle," he said, a hint of concern in his voice. "Where's Malon?"

Marielle's eyes widened. "She's with you, isn't she? I saw her run around the cart... Oh, goddesses, where could she have gone?"

"She can't be far," said Mako at once. "Let's spread out."

The four of them took off, each toward a different corner of the square. T'risa headed toward her and Mako's house, glancing this way and that, behind a tree, over a fence, around a corner—"

"Malon!" she cried suddenly, spotting the girl. She was tottering toward the peg where Coltor was tied up, and the horse looked agitated. He didn't like new people. He was pacing on his tether and snorting apprehensively. "Malon, no!" T'risa called in a panic. Marielle came bolting up behind her, closely followed by Talon and Mako. "Stop," T'risa ordered them. "You'll only excite him. Malon, come back!"

The others halted obediently by T'risa's side, the four of them watching helplessly as the toddler reached out toward the horse's shiny black coat. Coltor whipped his head around and brought his nose close to her face. Marielle gave a soft whimper, while T'risa tried to will her horse into submission.

The silence was suddenly broken by a short, high-pitched, bubbly noise. Malon was giggling. She reached up and touched Coltor's nose. The horse, instead of trampling the infant, had licked her face. He had stopped his pacing and was looking quite content as Malon petted him.

The adults rushed over, and Marielle scooped her daughter up quickly.

T'risa stared in amazement at her horse. "Wow," she breathed. "He doesn't generally… introduce well."

Talon gave a deep laugh. "Wouldja look at that," he chuckled as his daughter reached out again toward the horse, who nuzzled her hand. "She's got a natural way with horses, that one," he said. "She sorta… hums to them, see, back home. They've all got a different tune they seem to like. It's nuts, but I'm darned if her little songs don't make feedin' time a heck of a lot easier."

Mako put his arm around T'risa's shoulder, and everyone gave a little sigh of relief. "Of course, Coltor wouldn't hurt a fly, would you, boy?" cooed T'risa, ruffling her horse's mane. "Course you wouldn't. Not on purpose, anyway."

Talon got a mischievous look in his eye. "Every time I come back, that horse gets a little stronger, or his coat looks a little shinier," he said. "He'd make a fine mate for my Tani when she comes of age."

"No," said T'risa firmly. "He's mine. I wouldn't sell him for the Triforce itself."

"Oh, stop pestering her," laughed Marielle, giving her husband's arm a swat. "Come on, we'd better get going. Din knows what Ingo's got himself up to, left all alone back there." She shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know what goes on in that boy's head. Can hardly take directions. It's like he thinks he owns the ranch, sometimes." She shifted Malon onto her left hip. "So, you two'll be taking your usual milk, then? And I've got a new kind of horse feed I thought Coltor'd like to try."

They made their way back to the cart and, after taking milk for the week and the back of fodder, bade the Lon family farewell. The tumult in the square had died down to almost nothing as the milk cart rolled out of the village. On their way home, T'risa dropped the cucco chick off with Anya's mother, who still looked a bit unsure about the whole arrangement.

Mako and T'risa arrived at their doorstep just as the sun started to wink over the horizon. T'risa had her hand on the knob and was about to go in when Mako cried out, and she turned around.

"W-wait," he stammered, and T'risa was shocked to see that his face looked pale.

"Mako—!"

"Come on!" Without warning, Mako grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down the steps, where he broke into a run. It was all T'risa could do to keep up.

"Mako," she gasped as they sprinted down the street. "Where are we going? Did you have another vision? What happened? _Mako_…!"

But her husband made no reply. His expression was a mix of fear and resolve as he pulled her swiftly along.

When he finally brought them to a stop, T'risa's heart skipped a beat. "Mako," she said slowly, "what are we doing here?"

They were standing outside Brazze Querelekt's house.

_Read and review, my friends! If you do, I will reply to you with a delicious, heartfelt sentiment! D_


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